A collage of fall events on campus featuring Drexel Public Safety.

It’s Fire Safety Month — do you know where your smoke alarms are? In this issue, we explore Drexel’s fire safety protocols and give you tips to ensure your smoke detectors are in good working order. We also take a deeper dive into the Clery Act (focused on campus security and crime reporting) with a former student turned Drexel Public Safety staff member. Plus: It’s been a busy fall for Drexel Public Safety (DPS), and there are lots more events to come — we hope you’ll join us!

Where There’s Smoke Alarms, There’s Fire Safety Tips

October is Fire Safety Month, and the National Fire Protection Association designated Fire Prevention Week from Oct. 6–12. This year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you!” Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference and serve as the first line of defense in the event of a fire when they are operating properly. Smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a fire by more than half when there are working smoke alarm.

Here are a few safety tips for smoke alarms: 

• Smoke alarms should be in every bedroom, outside each separate area (like a hallway), and on each level of the home. 
• Test the smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
• Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.

Drexel University has smoke detectors in all residence halls and fraternity and sorority housing to ensure the safety of students. October is also the month that evacuation and fire drills are held in all University buildings to ensure all fire safety systems are operating properly and occupants know the way out of the building in case of an emergency. 

Park Your E-Bike or Scooter Safely

Drexel’s Office of Fire and Emergency Services prohibits e-bikes or e-scooters to be connected to any electric outlet within Drexel buildings for the purpose of charging. There are marked, designated scooter racks throughout campus to properly secure your device. Do not lock your device onto trees, railings or any other property. View a full list of scooter rack locations.

Recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s website shares some valuable resources, information and opportunities to get involved and support survivors of domestic violence. More than 10 million people are abused each year in the U.S. One in three women, one in four men, and nearly half of LGBTQ+ individuals will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. In Pennsylvania, 119 victims died from domestic violence incidents last year; 54 percent were killed by a current or former intimate partner. Below are just a couple of ways you can get involved and show your support here at Drexel.

• Oct. 17 is Purple Thursday. Wear purple, take a selfie and share why you wear purple or whom you wear it for with the hashtags #PurpleThursday #Every1KnowsSome1 #DVAM.
• DPS’ Victim Services Coordinator Amy Spiller will be tabling on Oct. 23 from 11:30 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. on Lancaster Walk for the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture’s community event.

Everything You Need to Know About Clery Compliance

Clery Compliance Awareness Week was Oct. 7–11, providing a great opportunity for Public Safety’s Clery Compliance Office to educate the University community about the importance of campus security and safety.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) requires colleges and universities to report campus crime data, support victims of violence and publicly outline the policies and procedures they have put in place to improve campus safety. You can learn more about the Clery Act on DPS’ website.

Ensuring the department remains compliant is a significant responsibility, as each missed violation results in a fine of $69,733. Given this high penalty, we must be diligent in ensuring accuracy.

You might remember that we recently distributed a notice about the availability of our 2024 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFR). The ASFR is more than just crime and fire statistics; it explains our institutional policies and procedures designed to enhance transparency and promote campus safety. Whether the crime involves a stolen laptop or an assault, it’s crucial that our community knows what to do, whom to call, and what to expect when filing a report. ASFRs from the past five years are archived on the DPS website.

At Drexel, keeping the campus community safe is a top priority. We encourage you to register your mobile number to receive DrexelAlerts to ensure you are notified when something serious happens nearby. Log into DrexelOne and click the DrexelAlert link located under the "Safety and Security" section of the “Welcome” tab. For more information on DrexelAlerts and other types of messages sent from Drexel Public Safety, please review the DPS Notification Guide.

Want to learn more?

• Clery Act and PA Uniform Crime Reporting
• Safety Tips
• Prevention Programs
• Campus Security Authorities

If you have any questions or concerns regarding reported Clery statistics, please email cleryact@drexel.edu.

Clery Compliance Officer Aden Betman (right) posing with Director of Clery Compliance Moe DeLisi (left) at last month’s Public Safety Fair.

Get to Know Us: Clery Compliance Officer Aden Betman

Aden Betman has been with Drexel Public Safety for about three years now. He began as a student, completing his co-op requirements in the department. Afterward, he was hired part-time while finishing his degree. Upon graduating from Drexel in the summer of 2022, Aden was offered a full-time position as a Security Specialist and was recently promoted to Clery Compliance Officer. In addition to this role, Aden is an instructor for the department's SAFE program.

In his role as Clery Compliance Officer, Aden reviews reports to ensure the information is accurate for the University’s daily crime and fire logs. Depending on the time of the month, he also reviews data from the previous month to verify its accuracy. Once confirmed, the data is submitted to the state for review, while other reports are filed for internal purposes. In addition to Clery reporting, Aden handles much of the department's mapping using Geographic Information System programs.

Currently, Aden is working on a dashboard that will display campus crimes on a map for internal use by DPS. Analyzing this data helps us identify prevalent crimes and areas where DPS may need to allocate more resources due to increased activity. The dashboard displays a map of all the department’s crime data and calls for service since January 2023. In addition to showing various crimes on campus and in the surrounding area, it conducts different analyses, such as identifying which months are more active and comparing the current year to the previous one. Aden takes pride in this project: “It stems from my idea to apply the knowledge I gained as a student to my role. This concept has been in development since I joined the department, and I am happy to see it entering its final stages.”  

“Knowing that I am playing a part in actively keeping Drexel’s campus and community safe” is Aden’s favorite part of the job. In his time away from work, Aden has a pitbull named Rhonin, is a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu, loves practicing photography and has a Volkswagen Tiguan that he calls Tiggy.

 “Remember to always be safe and aware when on campus,” Aden advises the Drexel community. “Please use the resources provided by the University; they are in place for the purpose of safety!”

In Case You Missed It…

We invite you to look back at September’s edition of Public Safety & U for more important safety information, with topics like keeping campus buildings secure by avoiding “piggybacking” and avoiding scammer red flags.

Community Commitments

Drexel Public Safety has had a busy September and October so far! During Welcome Week, DPS hosted several events throughout campus, including property registration, SAFE classes and Cookies with Cops, and got the opportunity to meet some great new Dragons!  October started with a kick-off to the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnership's 10-year anniversary with an evening of painting and fun, then rolled into National Coffee With Cops and Drexel’s Public Safety Fair. If you missed any of these events, DPS invites you to join us at upcoming events throughout campus or to sign up for one of our prevention programs.

A collage of photos from Public Safety’s Self-Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) class held during Welcome Week.

Learn How to Be SAFE With Public Safety’s Hands-On Classes

Public Safety’s self-protection program, Self-Awareness for Everyone (SAFE), is open to any student, faculty or professional staff member looking to develop skills for fostering their personal safety. Due to the hands-on nature of the class, it is strongly recommended that you register with a fellow Dragon. Participation in the techniques is recommended, but not required. Registration is required 72 hours prior to the class. You can register via Eventbrite for these classes, which are also available by request for your group. Watch a class in action in this video feature created by Drexel students.

Cookies with Cops: Oct. 23

Come out and get to know Drexel Police for the first official Cookies with Cops of the academic year. We will be outside of the Health Sciences Building, 60 N. 36^th Street, from 1–3 p.m. on Oct. 23. Enjoy a sweet treat, beverage and friendly conversation.

Halloween on the Row: Oct^. 31

Join the Drexel University Police Department and Fraternity and Sorority Life as we partner for the third annual community trick or treat event for the children of Powelton Village on Oct. 31 from 5–7 p.m., at 34th Street and Powelton Avenue.

We Are Here for You When You Need Us

Please call 215.895.2222 immediately if you experience or witness a crime. Drexel’s Public Safety Communications Center is staffed 24/7 to serve you, whether or not you choose to remain anonymous when making a report. It is vital that crimes are reported promptly to Drexel Police so that they can be investigated, and so that Public Safety can connect the victim(s) with proper resources. You can also contact DPS through the Drexel Guardian app. Drexel Guardian will not track you nor share your information unless you initiate an emergency. To download the app, search for “Rave Guardian” in the app store or Google Play store.

Emergency Numbers

215.895.2222 or 911
TTY: 215.571.4141

Walking Escorts

215.895.2222